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Make those large LED Video Light Panels more portable by running them off of batteries. Here's a random little video showing you how to power up those CN-600 / CN-900 LED Video Lights using the 14V Sony BP-U30/U60 batteries. It's not the cheapest solution, but compared to other batteries available, it's not too shabby.

This was the same battery adapter that I showed earlier which acts to power up your BlackMagic Cinema Camera. You can find the products below.

Based off of the same body that can be powered off a single Sony NP-F style camcorder battery, the 312 / 508 / 876 LED Video Lights can offer truly 'off-the-grid' shooting using some of the cheapest rechargeable batteries available.

I recently received the 876 LED Video light to test out, so I thought i'd put them side to side against the smaller siblings. You can see how much brighter and how much more diffusion is available as we get to the larger panels, but also a noticeable shift in color bias. If you're trying to mix these lights with other LED panels or ambient light, then these tests will show you how they perform.

Here's a snapshot along with specs from an LED Meter.

The images above showed the light 7 feet away from the wall. These readings (below) were taken just 3ft away from the light. (note: The 312 is a bi-color version, so it will have less output than a 312 full daylight version). Click Light Meter image for larger view.

These Sony style batteries are becoming more and more popular, and with plenty of aftermarket versions available at every online retailer, i'd like to hear which ones you've purchased recently and what your feedback is on the batteries you're using. I'm sure many of us could use some good information, so please share your comments and links below, thanks guys!

Each Sony NPF style camcorder battery runs at 7.4V. By running them in series, it works at 14.8V which is the minimum power required for the 600 and 900 LED light panels at full brightness. I took two basic Sony NPF battery chargers, gutted them, and then wired them in Series to provide 14.8V DC.

Remove two screws under the rear sticker and then pry apart case

To wire up the cases for Series, basically you take the Negative wire from one and the Positive wire from the other and connect them to the barrel plug. The other two wires (negative and positive) from each charger would be connected together.

Sorry for poor diagram

Next I added a bit of extended wire and used my Barrel Plug (shown here) to connect directly to the LED light. The Barrel Connector is super easy to work with (no soldering), and is clearly marked with + and - for positive / negative placement. It's a very simple and cheap DIY to provide portable power for these large LED panels. If you want use heavier batteries, just make the wiring longer and mount to your light stand.

[Disclaimer] Attempt this DIY at your own risk. Using your batteries in other ways than intended may cause premature failure of your batteries, or damage.

Some people have commented about flickering from a Z96 LED video light. This has to do with battery voltage, especially when the batteries run low. I've had plenty of success with my Eneloops and haven't noticed any flickering until they drain out. This time YouTube member Luca throws together a battery and flicker test with the Z96 using a Sony battery. Results look pretty good, and the price for batteries + charger is not too shabby. [Thanks Luca].